Banana's Genes Unpeeled

The sequence now available allows access to all the genes of this plant - over 36,000 - and their position along the eleven chromosomes. This knowledge will greatly facilitate the identification of genes responsible for traits such as disease resistance and fruit quality.

Capital for both food security and economic development of over 400 million people in developing countries, the banana is subjected to constant parasitic threats . The pressure is particularly strong in banana plantations that produce "export" found on our supermarkets shelves.

The sequence now available allows access to all the genes of this plant - over 36,000 - and their position along the eleven chromosomes. This knowledge will greatly facilitate the identification of genes responsible for traits such as disease resistance and fruit quality. It will provide the final crucial assistance to improve banana varieties from many genetic resources available in the world.